Ashes of 24 unknown people found at fraud probe funeral directors

Catherine Powell who is Funeral Director of Powell & Family which has replaced Samuel James & Sons Funeral Directors in Acocks Green.

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A SEARCH has begun to reunite loved ones with the ashes of a staggering 24 people, the remains found on the premises of a defunct funeral directors at the centre of a major fraud probe.

The ashes were salted away at the Acocks Green headquarters of Samuel James and Sons, a company immersed in a heart-breaking £150,000 fraud investigation. Boss Tony Johnson, died last October from a massive stroke.

Bonbshell news of the unclaimed urns is the latest sickening twist in a saga that detectives have described as complex.

The hunt to find owners has been launched by Powell and Family undertakers, which moved into the empty Fox Hollies Road premises in 2013. They have absolutely no links with Samuel James other than the misfortune of moving into the shamed company’s old address.

Samuel James and Sons Funeral Directors who were based in Acocks Green sold Imelda Moorhouse from Acocks Green a funeral plan which doesn't exist

Those victims include frail pensioner Imelda Moorhouse who parted with £3,599 for her funeral plan in March, 2011. The Acocks Green 72-year-old discovered her plan did not exist two months ago.

Niece Alice Ellis said: “She has no money to bury herself. It was her life-savings. She is an Irish lady and is meticulous about her funeral. She wanted a horse-drawn hearse.”

Catherine Powell is now attempting to reunite families with ashes that have, in some cases, been “lost” for 14 years.

Catherine said: “The cremations took place between 2001 and 2012 at Yardley, Robin Hood and Perry Barr crematoriums. We know the names and funeral dates for each person but we are very keen to help find a final resting place for those individuals.

“It is important to reassure people that the ashes are safe, that there will be no bill for storage and that we will continue to safeguard these remains until families feel ready to make a decision.”

She explained: “While most families collect their loved-one’s remains within a few weeks of the funeral some find this much harder and every funeral director will have sets of ashes that go back years, or even decades. We just need to complete our records so that these remains can ultimately be handed over to the right family.

“We have managed to find homes for some individuals but now we are stuck. With no access to any funeral records to help us, our tenacious funeral arranger, Siobhan Russell, has been doing some detective work. However, some local authorities are cautious about releasing family information to us as we are technically an unrelated third-party.

The announcement again thrusts Samuel James into the spotlight – and will crank-up the call for answers.

A West Midlands Police spokeswoman said: “We have been contacted in respect of a possible four more victims of fraud, and the investigation continues.”